‘Just a few hours ride’: China plans bullet train from Kumming to Kolkata

China is “looking forward” to bullet train services connecting Kunming in south western China and Kolkata in Bengal, Chinese consul general in Kolkata, Ma Zhanwu, said on Wednesday.

“We are looking forward to bullet trains from Kolkata to Kunming. The whole Asia will be connected,” said Zhanwu while addressing a conference on connectivity and trade relations between China and India.

“It will only take a few hours to reach Kolkata from Kunming if the rail link becomes a reality,” he asserted.

However, the Chinese diplomat did not divulge the details of the route and whether it would follow the proposed Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor that is projected to run through Mandalay in Myanmar, Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh terminating in Kolkata.

Zhanwu described India as a rising economy and said China wants to maintain stable relations with its neighbours. He added that despite the fall in value of rupee lately, the rise of Indian economy is irreversible.

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